Loneliness of the Heart
by MasterFirebender84
Summary: One night after Pro-bending practice, Bolin can't help but notice that something's bothering Korra. She seems so distant, so hollow, totally unfocused on anything...what could be bothering her? Concerned for his friend, Bolin decides to talk to Korra.


Alright, so this time around I thought I'd take a look at a side of Korra that really hasn't been seen before. Sure, we all know her as the confident, totally radical Avatar that she is, but there's always more to the protagonists than one may think. This is just speculation on my part, but I'll let you decide how it is. :) Enjoy and review! :D

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender". The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it. I also do not own "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra" or any of the characters associated with it. I am merely a fanboy who is eagerly awaiting the return of one of the greatest shows ever created.

**Loneliness of the Heart**

Bolin always could tell when something was bothering someone, a nifty skill he had picked up when he grew up on the streets with Mako. Even with a quick glance, he could see the heaviness and melancholy plastered onto a person's face, the way their features would become like a mirror reflection of their heart and soul.

He was seeing that now with Korra, and quite frankly…it disturbed him. A lot.

Oh sure, she tried to act like nothing was bothering her, always smiling that coy and playful smirk, thinking she was the toughest thing in the world and acting on that thought by thoroughly beating both him and Mako at the same time during their sparring match.

However, when he looks up, just when Korra thinks no one's looking at her, he could see the proud and defiant gleam leave her steely sharp cyan eyes, her smiling falling into a small, disconcerted frown. Suddenly, her eyes would lock onto his, and she would immediately glance away from him, far enough to break eye contact with him so she could regain her composure. Once she was finished, she'd look back at him and Mako with her signature look, the very same on she wore the day he met her.

As they departed for their respective locker rooms, Bolin couldn't help but look over his shoulder, watching as Korra sulked back to her locker room, her eyes practically glued to the floor. Unease settled into Bolin's heart, nestling ever further into his being and burying the seeds of anxiety into the fertile soil of his restlessness.

Putting his Pro-bending uniform into his locker, he closed the metal door and locked it as he turned towards Mako, asking, "Have you noticed that Korra's been acting a little…_strange_, lately?"

"It's probably because we lost that match a few days ago," casually replied Mako, who was sitting on the bench and adjusting his practice armor, slightly scowling as he tried to get it into the perfect position. "She had a chance to pull off a win when both of us got knocked out, and she didn't pull through for the team."

"Come on, Mako," chastised Bolin, giving his older brother a disapproving glare, "she tried her hardest. The other team still had their Earthbender and Firebender up on the field, and both of them were pretty skilled."

"I wasn't belittling Korra's skills," retorted Mako, putting his helmet back on as he stood up. Looking over towards Bolin, he added, "I was merely stating that she lost. Nothing more, nothing less." Walking over towards the door to the practice field, the Firebender said over his shoulder, "I'm going to practice for a little while longer. Go wait outside with Korra and Naga."

"Whatever," grumbled Bolin, watching as Mako closed the door behind him, leaving the Earthbender alone in a sea of cold, metallic lockers.

Making his way through the building, Bolin continued to think to himself about his preoccupation with Korra. It was clear that something was bothering the young Avatar, but _what_ was bothering her was a complete mystery to him. Whenever he'd steal scant glances at her, she always seemed to have this far-off look to her eyes, as if her mind was elsewhere, lost either to the depths of her heart or the vast realm of contemplation, or lamentation.

Her change in demeanor appeared to have happened a day or so after their most recent loss, but Bolin knew that wasn't what was bothering her. Whenever they lost a match, she'd literally drag the two of them by their collars to the practice arena and have them drill for hours on end, methodically working out their techniques and meticulously nitpicking any flaws they happened to find. No, this was something totally different…and whatever it was, it only made Bolin's discomfort even worse, like an itch that needed to be scratched but refused to subside no matter how hard he tried to get rid of it.

Coming to the entrance of the Pro-bending building, Bolin opened the door, halting himself and jumping back slightly behind the portal. Peeking through the crack in the ajar, he spotted Korra standing next to Naga, who was sitting on the ground next to her master. The Avatar was mindlessly scratching behind Naga's ear, not even seeming like a sign of affection but rather a trivial distraction for her body to focus on.

"I just don't get it, Naga," glumly said Korra, resting her head against her Animal Guide's neck. "Why do I feel like this? I mean, I'm not trying to focus on it, but…I just can't help it, y'know?" Naga let off a small, worried whine as she lowered her head down to Korra, licking the saddened teen's cheek and making her softly chuckle. "You're such a sweet girl, Naga," warmly said Korra, kissing her beloved companion on the snout. "I wish you could talk, Naga. Maybe you could help me figure out why I feel like this…"

Bolin knew that he had to step in at that moment; something was _seriously_ wrong with Korra, and he was determined to help his friend in any way that he could. "Feel like what?" he boldly asked as he pushed through the door, letting it close shut behind him as Korra quickly spun around to face him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"B-Bolin," she incoherently stammered, her copper cheeks glowing crimson, "what are you-"

"What's wrong with you, Korra?" interrupted Bolin, stopping just a few feet away from her as Naga looked back at the two teens.

"Nothing's wrong with me!" exclaimed Korra, her face and tone both becoming equally hostile, dangerous like a powder keg about to be set off by a spark.

Bolin incredulously scoffed, planting his hands on his hips as he firmly said, "Korra, I don't need Toph Bei Fong's seismic senses to tell that you're lying; I can read it all over your face. What's wrong with you, Korra? You've been acting weird the past few days."

"Weird _how_?" demanded Korra, angrily crossing her arms in front of her chest and coldly glowering at Bolin.

"You've always got this sad look in your eyes," replied Bolin, "and you're always going off just to be by yourself. Like back on Air Temple Island, you'd always go outside to do 'some night-time Airbending training'." He said the last part in air-quotes, emphasizing each and every word.

"I was," fumingly protested Korra, dropping her arms by her sides and stiffening them in outrage, "but-"

"But _nothing_, Korra," sternly cut off Bolin, walking up next to her, keeping his eyes fixated on hers, his emerald green locked onto her icy cyan. "I know something's bothering you, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is." To cement his declaration, he plopped next to her, looking up at her with challenging eyes, almost daring her to go against him.

The two benders glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, the boiling rage of the Avatar almost seeming to contest against the fortitude and resilience of the Earthbender. The thrashing sea of her eyes crashed against the earthen shore of his eyes, a battle of wills that neither was determined to lose.

Finally, Korra's face softened and relaxed, her body slumping back against Naga's leg and sliding to the ground as she murmured, "Fine…I'll talk." Naga laid down on the ground on curled up against Korra, resting her massive head on the Avatar's lap with a quiet whine, eliciting a forlorn smile to blossom on the young woman's face as she lovingly pet her companion's head. Bolin made no move to pressure Korra, knowing she would talk when she was ready.

Without looking up from Naga's head, Korra softly said, "It all started the day after we lost that match. We were out on the town, remember?"

"Yeah, I do," nodded Bolin, scooting closer to Korra and Naga until his knees were mere inches from the Polar Bear-Dog's snout.

Korra airily chuckled, leaning her head back against Naga's haunches as she said, "I remember that you were trying to hit on that one girl. Y'know, Mikaita?"

"Oh yeah," chuckled Bolin, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he blushed. "Well, I thought she was really pretty, and she seemed like a fun gal."

"That was until she bent that whole jug of water onto your head!" laughed Korra. "The look on your face: _priceless_!" Despite his searing blush, Bolin laughed along with Korra, happy that he could at least make her smile with the memories of his antics.

As their mirthful laughter died down, Bolin noticed a sullen and down-heartened expression take hold of Korra's features, forcing her eyes back down to Naga's head. Being very much cautious, Bolin hesitantly asked, "But what does me hitting on some girl in a bar have anything to do with what you're feeling right now?" As soon as the words left his mouth, all the gears in his mind screeched to a grinding halt, bringing him to a very hasty conclusion: "You…you don't have _feelings_ for me, do you?"

Korra's eyes shot open so fast with shock and surprise that Bolin was astonished that her whole head didn't peel back from the force. With cheeks as blazingly red as the fire she commanded, Korra exclaimed, "No! Well, I mean, you're a good guy and all, but- I just don't like you _that way_!"

"Okay, okay," abated Bolin, peacefully holding up his hands, "my bad."

"It's just-" Korra sighed, dipping her chin onto her chest. "No," she decided with a shake of her head. "It's too stupid. You'll just laugh at me."

"I would never laugh at you, Korra," sincerely said Bolin, the gentleness of his voice pulling her eyes back up towards him. "You're my friend. Whatever it is that's bothering you, I'm here for you. Please, Korra; I can't stand to see you so sad and miserable. You're an amazing person, and you're the most kick-butt girl I've ever met. Seeing you like this…it really worries me. It's just not like you to brood." Wistfully smirking, he jokingly said, "That's Mako's job."

"True," agreeably chuckled Korra, her cheeks flushing a mixture of pink and crimson at his kind words. Her eyes drifted back down to Naga's head, her hand automatically stroking the white fur as she quietly murmured, "Sometimes I just feel really lonely…"

One of Bolin's eyebrows cocked itself to an inquisitive height as he confusedly asked, "Lonely? How in the world can you feel lonely?"

"See?" Korra groaned, throwing her head back against Naga's haunches in despair. "I told you it was too stupid."

"No no," retorted Bolin, shaking his head in denial, "it's not stupid. It's just…how can you feel lonely? You're surrounded by friends who care about you!" Counting off on his fingers, he said, "You've got me, Mako, Tenzin and his family, even Naga and Pabu!"

"There's more than one kind of loneliness, Bolin," countered Korra, her brilliant eyes seeming unnaturally dull in the low light of the city around them. "The reason why I feel lonely is because…" She bit her lip, as if not wanting the admittance to slip from her mouth for all to hear. "Forget it," she mumbled, looking away from Bolin, closing her eyes in self-degrading shame. "You're just going to laugh at how much of an idiot I am."

"For the last time, Korra," reiterated Bolin, "I am _not_ going to laugh at you."

"Why should I believe you?" challenged Korra, looking back at Bolin with a razor-sharp glare. "I'm supposed to be the Avatar who's always in control of her feelings and not letting anything distract her; the very fact that I'm letting something like this bother me is because I'm weak and I deserve to be laughed at."

"You may be the Avatar," stated Bolin, "but you're still as human as Mako and I. Like Tenzin's told you, the Avatar is a part of two worlds: the human world, and the Spirit World. You're the physical manifestation of _our_ world; you're as human as the rest of us, emotions and all. Plus, you're a teenage girl! The teenage years are some of the most turbulent in a person's life, so there's no reason for you to feel ashamed. You're not weak, Korra; everyone goes through hard times, and it's up to their friends to help pull them through. You're my friend, Korra; whatever you have to say, I can seriously take it."

Korra studied her Earthbending friend for a few moments, wondering if he was telling the truth. She did trust Bolin – after all, he was like her brother – but she didn't know how he'd react to what she was feeling right now. Deciding to pull herself together, she summoned her courage, drawing in a deep breath to ready herself, uttering just one sentence as she looked back down at Naga: "Sometimes I feel like I'll never find…_him_."

"Who?" asked Bolin, curiously tilting his head off to the side as he gave Korra a perplexed look.

"You know," sighed Korra, resting her head against Naga again. "_The one_."

The meaning of her statement immediately settled into Bolin's mind, his mouth shaped in a small 'O'. "Oh…that's what's bothering you?"

"Pretty stupid of me, huh?" grunted Korra, not wanting to make eye contact with Bolin. She bit back the comment almost as fast as she had made it. "No, it's _not_ stupid of me." Gesturing to Bolin, she added, "Just look at you, Bolin: you're such a ladies' man that you could get any girl you laid your eyes on. You're handsome, witty, charming, and sweet. As for me, I'm just…" She gestured to her whole body, almost as if she were a specimen of failure and not an individual human being. "…Korra," she finished with glum finality, a single tear springing to life in one of her eyes.

Bolin's heart immediately clenched in his chest as he saw the lone tear trail down her face; Korra _never_ cried, not even when was physically injured. "Korra," he said, "I may be a ladies' man, but I have a hard time keeping an emotional commitment to someone. That's why I go through so many girls and why I keep hitting on any new girl we come across: I'm trying to find a girl that I _can_ keep that sort of commitment with."

"Girls would at least _want_ you," retorted Korra as she looked over at Bolin, a slight hint of contempt imbuing itself on her face. "No guy in the world would want a girl who's as impatient, stubborn, blunt, or hard-headed as I am. I'd scare 'em so much that they'd run off in no time! What guy would possibly want someone like me?" More tears leaked down her face as she spoke, her voice slightly cracking as she continued her rant. "Sure, I may _look_ hot, but when a guy sees me for who I am on the inside, they're going to steer clear of me."

"Korra," kindly said Bolin, reaching over and grasping one of her hands, much to her surprise, "you're a special kind of person. You're not the sort of girl who's always worrying about how they look or if boys think they're pretty; you're beautiful in your own way, and your tough attitude shows that you don't care what others think of you. You may be able to fight your own battles, but you're also sensitive on the inside. It's like you have the exterior of an Earthbender with the heart of a Waterbender: blunt and stubborn, but also compassionate and loving. If you wanted someone to like you, you would have no trouble doing that."

"But Bolin-" she tried to protest.

"Don't even try to say I'm wrong, Korra." Squeezing her hand, he added, "Like I said before, you're beautiful in your own way. When the right guy comes along, he's going to see you for the brilliant jewel that you are, and you're going to feel so happy that you'll be smiling all of the time." Thinking of something, he added, "Have you ever heard of the phrase 'When love is real, it finds a way'?"

The phrase seemed to strike a familiar chord in Korra's mind, but the memories seemed too distant for her to recall. "I think I might have."

Brightly smiling, Bolin said, "That's something I think you need to take to heart. Sure, things may seem bad right now because you don't have your special guy, but that doesn't mean you should give up. He _is_ out there, Korra; all you have to do is wait until the right moment, and strike when the time is right."

"Great advice, coming from an Earthbender," chuckled Korra, all the worry and doubt melting away from her features, the spark of life rejuvenated in her eyes with the flame of a hundred suns. Squeezing Bolin's hand, she sincerely smiled and gratefully said, "Thank you, Bolin. I'm…I'm glad I talked to you."

"Anytime," replied Bolin with a genuine smile, letting go of her hand just as Mako slipped through the door, now adorned in his regular attire.

Bolin and Korra looked over at Mako as the Firebender asked, "Anything important happen while I was gone?"

"Not really," nonchalantly shrugged Bolin. Glancing over towards Korra, he winked at her as he said, "Just a little teammate bonding, that's all." Korra's smile widened, knowing that Bolin would keep her secret safe in his heart. She thanked both Yue and La for bringing her such an understanding friend, keeping his words close to her heart so that they would inspire her day after day.


End file.
